Galloway Forest by Motorcycle: the Queen's Way and the Nick o' the Balloch

Galloway, in the south-west corner of Scotland, is the part of the country most riders ride straight past on the way to the Highlands or the Cairnryan ferry. That is a mistake. The Galloway Forest Park is the largest forest park in Britain, crossed by a handful of empty, flowing roads through hills, lochs and forest, and the moor roads to the north are as wild as anything in the Highlands. This loop from Newton Stewart covers about 125km (78 mi) and could fill a day, or a morning with time left for the coast.

The route

Newton Stewart to New Galloway on the Queen's Way (about 30km / 19 mi). The A712 runs east from Newton Stewart through the heart of the forest park. It climbs gently past Murray's Monument, through the red deer range, where you can often see the herd from the road, and along the shore of Clatteringshaws Loch before dropping to New Galloway. The road is two-lane with a good surface and long sweeping bends, and it is often empty. It is the perfect road to settle into.

New Galloway to Dalmellington on the A713 (about 40km / 25 mi). Turn north on the A713 through the Glenkens, past St John's Town of Dalry and Carsphairn, along a broad valley with hills on both sides. It is a faster, more open road than the Queen's Way, with a few sharper bends near Loch Doon.

Dalmellington to Straiton (about 10km / 6 mi). The B741 runs west across the hills to Straiton, a small village of whitewashed cottages.

The Nick o' the Balloch to Glentrool (about 30km / 19 mi). From Straiton, a single-track road climbs south over the open moor and through the pass of the Nick o' the Balloch, with big views over the Galloway hills, then drops through forest to the A714 near Bargrennan. It is narrow and slow, with blind crests, sheep and a rough surface in places, but it is one of the best roads in southern Scotland. A short detour leads to Glen Trool, where Robert the Bruce won an early battle and a stone marks the spot above the loch.

Bargrennan back to Newton Stewart (about 13km / 8 mi). The A714 runs south down the valley of the Cree to Newton Stewart.

What to expect

The A-roads in the forest park are good, quiet two-lane roads. The moor road over the Nick o' the Balloch is single-track: use the passing places (pull into one on your left, stop opposite one on your right, and let faster traffic past). Sheep graze the open moor, and deer cross the forest roads at dawn and dusk. Timber lorries use the forest roads, so watch for mud and debris near forestry entrances. Fuel is in Newton Stewart, New Galloway and Dalmellington, and sparse in between.

The Raiders Road, a forest drive off the A762 near Clatteringshaws, is a gravel track that is open to vehicles in season only. It is fine for adventure bikes in the dry, but not for road bikes; check with Forestry and Land Scotland before you go.

Extensions

• The Ayrshire coast. North from Bargrennan, the A714 runs to Girvan, and the A77 follows the coast south to Ballantrae with views of Ailsa Craig. The A77 has average-speed cameras on parts of its length.
• The Electric Brae. On the A719 south of Dunure, a stretch of road looks as if it runs uphill when it actually runs down. Stop, take your feet down and see.
• The Mull of Galloway. From Stranraer, the roads down the Rhins peninsula lead to the Mull of Galloway, the southernmost point of Scotland, with a lighthouse on the cliffs.
• Kirkcudbright and the Solway coast. East of Newton Stewart, the A75 and the coast roads around Gatehouse of Fleet and Kirkcudbright are quiet and pretty.

Getting there

Galloway is about an hour and a half west of the M6 and M74 at Gretna along the A75, the main road to the Cairnryan ferries for Northern Ireland. The A75 carries a lot of lorries heading for the ferries, so be patient with overtaking. It makes Galloway an easy first or last day on a trip to the Highlands or to Ireland. If you are catching a ferry at Cairnryan, a morning on the Queen's Way and the Nick o' the Balloch fits neatly before an afternoon sailing, and the forest roads are a far better way to spend a spare few hours than the queue at the port.

A suggested day

From Newton Stewart, ride the Queen's Way east in the morning, with a stop at Clatteringshaws Loch and the red deer range. Take the A713 north through the Glenkens to Dalmellington, then cross to Straiton for lunch. Ride the Nick o' the Balloch in the afternoon, with a short detour to Glen Trool, and come back down the Cree to Newton Stewart. The loop takes about four hours with stops, which leaves time for the coast: a run north to Girvan and down the A77 to Ballantrae, or south to the Mull of Galloway for the sunset.

Bikes and kit

The A-roads suit any bike, and the Nick o' the Balloch is fine on a road bike if you take it slowly: the surface is rough in places and the crests are blind. The Raiders Road and the forestry tracks are for adventure bikes only. Galloway's weather is kinder than the Highlands, but rain is still likely, so pack waterproofs.

When to go

April to October. Galloway is milder and drier than the West Highlands, and quieter at all times of year. Midges can be bad in the forest on calm summer evenings. Galloway Forest Park is a Dark Sky Park, so on a clear autumn night the stars are worth staying up for.

Where to stay

Newton Stewart is the natural base, with New Galloway, Gatehouse of Fleet and Kirkcudbright as smaller options. See all Galloway biker-friendly stays. The Lake District is about two hours to the south-east: see the Lake District passes. Heading north, it is about three hours to Glencoe and the A82, and the Military Road is about two hours east.